2000
#119,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Johston
A habitational surname derived from places named Johnston in Scotland and England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Johston. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Johston surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Johston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Johston, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (7.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Johston
The surname Johnston has its origins in Scotland, where it first appeared in the late 12th century. It is derived from the ancient Brittonic personal name Ioan, which means "God is gracious." This name was later Anglicized to John, and the suffix "-ton" or "-ston" was added to denote a person from a particular place.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Johnston surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of homages made to King Edward I of England. Among those listed is Johan de Jonestone, a Scottish landowner from the county of Renfrewshire. This suggests that the Johnston surname may have originated from a place called Jonestone or a similar variation.
In the 14th century, the Johnston name appeared in various historical records, including the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. One notable figure from this time was Sir Adam Johnston, a knight who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 1300s.
The Johnston surname continued to spread throughout Scotland and eventually to other parts of the British Isles. In the 16th century, a prominent Johnston family emerged in County Fermanagh, Ireland, where they held lands and played a significant role in local affairs.
One of the most famous individuals with the Johnston surname was Samuel Johnston (1733-1816), a American Revolutionary leader and statesman from North Carolina. He served as the state's governor and was a delegate to the Continental Congress.
Another notable Johnston was Albert Sidney Johnston (1803-1862), a Confederate general during the American Civil War. He was killed at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862, making him one of the highest-ranking officers from either side to be killed in combat during the war.
Other historical figures with the Johnston surname include:
1. Joseph Eggleston Johnston (1807-1891), a Confederate general during the American Civil War.
2. Mary Johnston (1870-1936), an American novelist and playwright known for her historical novels set in Virginia.
3. Edward Johnston (1872-1944), a British calligrapher and teacher who is credited with reviving the art of calligraphy in the 20th century.
4. Ollie Johnston (1912-2008), an American animator who worked for Walt Disney Studios and was one of Disney's "Nine Old Men" of animation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Johston
Among Census respondents with the surname Johston, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (7.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Johston bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Johston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 8
- Two or more races7.0% · 8
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Johston
Johston appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
-9 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,068 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-10 bearers (-8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,045 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #119,644 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 15,068 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.0%) | Down 11,045 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Johston surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #134,712 | #145,757 | -8.2% |
| Count | 125 | 115 | -8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Johston bearers went from 125 to 115 (-8.0% change). The surname moved down 11,045 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #145,757.
FAQ
Johston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Johston?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Johston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Johston?
Johston ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Johston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Johston.
Has Johston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Johston went from 125 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Johston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Johston, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (7.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Johston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Johston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Hispanic (7.0%), Two or More Races (7.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Johston (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Johston mean?
A habitational surname derived from places named Johnston in Scotland and England. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Johston (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Johston?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Johston is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.